“Can you get that?” she asks, one eyebrow raised.
“Sure.”
I get up and head into the hallway; I take a deep breath, trying to keep down everything that’s about to explode inside me, and I slap on one of my best smiles.
I open the door, and her eyes dive straight into my soul.
“Nick,” she says, rearranging her bag over her shoulder.
“Casey.” I try not to stutter. After last night, I can’t show her how much I feel like I’m drowning.
“Can I come in, then?”
“Of course,” I say, stepping aside for her to pass.
Casey walks into the hallway as I close the door behind her. Why does she have to be so calm, so cool, while I’m standing here, panicking like an idiot?
“Where’s your dad?” she asks, spinning around.
“He’s in the living room,” I say, almost gasping.
“I’ll just go through and see him, then…”
Like fuck, you will.
I grab her arm and push her against the wall in the hallway. Then I take her face between my hands and I press my mouth against hers. I feel her smile against my lips – but I won’t let her take this lightly. I slide my tongue into her mouth, stopping her from breathing, keeping her face pressed against mine. I hear her moan into me, trying to come up for air, to disentangle her hands from our bodies; but I push harder against her.
Once I’m satisfied, I pull away from her, and look her right in the eyes. “Don’t ever pretend again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Never pretend that nothing happened between us. I don’t care if we’re in my parents’ house, or if my family take the piss out of me for this. I don’t care if my brothers do everything in their power to make me look like a total dick.”
“I don’t think they will…”
“Maybe you’ve forgotten what happened between us, the things we said. Do you need a reminder?”
“Apparently I don’t remember everything.”
“Casey…stop playing games.”
“Why? I like seeing you struggle.”
“You could end up in trouble if you don’t stop.”
“You’d never do anything. Not in your parents’ house.”
She tries to wriggle out of my grasp, but I trap her between the wall and my body. “Do you want me to prove it right now?”
“Please, Jesus. Not when I’m standing right here!”
Oh God. Why, why, why?
I turn suddenly to face him. “Where the fuck have you come from?”
“The front door. You’d have realised sooner if you weren’t so busy marking your territory. Are you scared she’s going to escape?”
“Do you want to fuck off now?”
